The first of two new jetties to accommodate the Royal Canadian Navy’s growing fleet of modern ships on the West Coast is now complete—a significant milestone in a $1.1-billion project to replace Second World War-era berthing facilities at CFB Esquimalt.
The A/B Jetty Recapitalization Project has seen DCC involved in planning and preparation for the construction of the two new jetties—including demolition, dredging, blasting and species protection—since 2017.
The completion of B Jetty last fall was marked with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony in early February 2025. The second jetty (A Jetty) is expected to be complete in 2031.
Mark Midiang’a, DCC Team Leader, Construction Services, knew the successful end of the work on B Jetty was approaching when he watched HMCS Winnipeg pull away from the jetty early last summer. The departure signalled the end of operational commissioning—when every process is tested with a ship and fine-tuned to make sure it works.
“The moment we no longer needed to bring the ship in again for testing, that’s when I celebrated,” said Mark.
The 270-m jetty is designed to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis. It also features an upgraded electrical system with better power reliability, enhanced fire suppression capabilities, and additional space for maintaining larger ships, including the new Joint Support Ships and Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships.
For DCC, the project is a testament to value of collaboration. The team worked with numerous contractors and alongside Client-Partners at the Department of National Defence, including the Director General Infrastructure and Environment Engineering Services and Director of Construction Project Delivery, as well as Real Property Operations, the local Fleet Maintenance Facility staff, Base Safety and Environment, Formation Safety and Environment, and the King’s Harbour Master.
“A project like this is truly a team effort,” said Erin Smyth, DCC Program Leader in Esquimalt. “There were challenges delivering a project of this magnitude, especially throughout the pandemic. We triumphed through this as a team to overcome the obstacles and I’m proud of that.”
